1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pairs of blocks for supporting bed legs for raising one end of a bed for therapeutic or other purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pair of stackable, nestable blocks that may be employed singly or in stacked combination to support a bed leg at a plurality of selectable heights.
2. Prior Art
Many people suffer from physical ailments which are relieved or treated by resting or sleeping in a head-elevated or foot-elevated bed. Raising the foot end of a bed may assist those who have such physical conditions as phlebitis or varicose veins. Raising the head end of a bed may assist those who have such physical conditions as hiatal hernias as well as other gastronomical, cardiac and respiratory ailments.
The extent to which one end or the other of a bed should be elevated to provide optimum relief or treatment differs from one circumstance to another, and may need to be adjusted as circumstances change. To fully accommodate the needs of most patients, a capability to selectively elevate a bed leg at heights within the range of about one inch to about seven inches may prove helpful. However, most needs for bed leg elevation are well served if elevation capabilities within a range of about two inches to about six inches are provided.
In an effort to address this need, a variety of bed leg elevation devices have been proposed, some of which utilize stackable elements. Drawbacks common to many prior proposals have included the need to employ relatively complexly configured bed leg support elements and/or the need to employ a sizable number of stackable elements if bed leg support at three or more heights is to be offered. Some prior proposals require the use of as many as five stackable elements if a capability of supporting a bed leg at five distinct heights is to be offered.